NES Mods

NES Mods

I’ll update this page every time I perform a different mod to my NES that’s worth talking about.  For now, here’s all I have:

Blinking Light Win

There’s now a 72-pin connector replacement that’s a huge improvement over both the original and (mostly crappy) aftermarket connectors.  The cartridges fit a big snug, but it works perfect.  I strongly recommend it for anyone with a front-loading NES.

ENIO Expansion board.

This board plugs into the bottom expansion port on front-loading NES systems.  It enables people who are playing Famicom games (via a modified adapter) to hear the expansion audio used in those games.  It also includes a port that allows you to use Famicom peripherals, such as the keyboard and 3D glasses.

Here’s a list of Famicom games that supported expansion audio:  http://wiki.nesdev.com/w/index.php/List_of_games_with_expansion_audio

A “stereo sound” mod. 

The NES actually produced sound two different ways and combined them into one output.  You can tap into the pre-mixed audio and modify it so they each go to their own speaker.  Sometimes this produces very cool sound effects, other times it can be annoying.  I have the two channels mixed through a knob: 

All the way to one side is full stereo separation and all the way to the other is mono.  I was really impressed by how games like Contra sounded in full-separation (‘stereo’), but most games sound best with the knob mixed in the middle (which is where I usually leave it).  Some people don’t like the “fake” stereo effect, but I definitely prefer it over mono.  Listen for yourselves and see what you think: